How to dispose of rubbish in Bristol

Reuse websites

Aside from shops, there are various websites online dedicated to reuse. As a general rule, everything is free – no money is allowed! The following sites are great ways to both give away and find pre-owned items:

• Freecycle Bristol – for details on how to register and use it, check out our Ultimate Guide to Freecycle.
• Freegle Bristol
• Trashnothing Bristol
• Gumtree Bristol Freebies
• LoveJunk

2. Bristol council bulky waste collection service

Bristol council offers a bulky waste collection service for items that don’t fit in your bins. They will collect up to 6 items, including the following:

• Fridges/ freezers (emptied of all food items)
• Washing machines
• Furniture
• Mattresses
• Electrical items
• Fixtures and fittings e.g. doors, worktops, or bathroom items

Bristol council cannot collect: 

• Business waste (including furniture and mattresses owned by the landlord of a rented property)
• School and charities waste
• Paint and other liquids
• Anything over 6.5 feet / 2 metres in length
• Items that can’t be carried by two people
• Car parts and tyres
• Chemicals
• Building waste
• Heavily soiled items
• Garden waste
• Cardboard (you can put this in your blue recycling bag on your recycling collection day)

Cost of the collection service & more details

• 1-3 items = £25
• 4-6 items = £50

Concessions: none available

Some more details: book online here. For full details about the bulky waste collection service (including cancellation policy), click here. 

3. Licensed man and van waste collectors

An alternative to the Bristol council service is hiring a man & van rubbish collector. This option has a few advantages:

• Man & van businesses can usually respond much quicker, sometimes on the same day
• They can collect most types of waste and lots of items at once
• Collections from in or outside properties (which is helpful if you’re unable to lift or move items yourself)

Cheapest licensed rubbish clearance service in Bristol

The best way to find your cheapest local licensed waste collector in Bristol is to use the LoveJunk marketplace. It’s easy to dispose of your items – just post a picture of your unwanted stuff, choose a time and publish the listing. A nearby licensed waste carrier gives a quote to remove it. If your item is reusable, a reuser can come and pick it up free of charge. Either way, you’ll get rid of your unwanted item responsibly. It’s free to use the platform and LoveJunk is recommended by lots of councils around the country.

Examples of man & van rubbish clearance prices in Bristol

Below are some examples of jobs that happened in Bristol. Remember that the final costs depend on the type and amount of waste you have, as well as the urgency. See LoveJunk’s rubbish removal prices tool to check out the latest jobs from all over the country, plus filter by waste type.

4. Skip hire Bristol

Skips are useful if you’ve got messy waste or rubble to dispose of. Unlike man & van collectors, you’ll have to load the skip yourself. Skip prices are fixed so it doesn’t matter how full or empty the skip is, you’ll pay the same. It’s usually much more expensive to hire a skip because of additional permit and license fees (see below). 

Bristol skip hire companies

We recommend local licensed companies when looking to hire a skip. Here are some of the main skip hire companies operating in Bristol:

Skip hire prices in Bristol

Here are the typical skip hire prices (including VAT) for a mixed general waste skip in Bristol. Prices reflect a hire period of 14 days. They do not include the cost of necessary skip permits or parking bay suspensions.

Builder skip: 6-8 cubic yard skip @ £250-£315

Maxi skip: 10-12 cubic yard skip @ £395

Skip Permits and Bay Suspensions

To place a skip on the road or in a parking bay (as opposed to on your drive, for example), you need a skip permit license and/ or a controlled parking zone (CPZ) suspension permit. If you need one of these, your skip hire company will deal with the application. Just be aware of the extra costs.

Skip license Bristol: £65 for 14 days

CPZ Bay Suspension in Bristol: £29 per day

5. Bristol recycling centres

There are 3 recycling centres in Bristol city centre. The opening times are 08:00 – 16:15 for each one. They are all closed 25 December, 26 December and 1 January. 

St Philips Reuse and Recycling Centre: Folly Lane, off Days Road, St Philips, Bristol, BS2 0QS

Avonmouth Reuse and Recycling Centre: Kings Weston Lane, Avonmouth, Bristol, BS11 0YS

Hartcliffe Way Reuse and Recycling Centre: 83 Hartcliffe Way, BS3 5RN

Map of Bristol tips

Finally,

Thanks for reading – we hope you found our How To Dispose of Rubbish in Bristol Guide useful! You might also like:

• How to Dispose of Rubbish